Taking Charge of Biz-ness

Financial literacy is a topic ignored by most schools. You might be surprised to learn that only 8 states in the country have a mandatory course for high school students in personal finance, according to the Federal Reserve. With the advent of Money Smart Week Quad Cities, a series of classes, seminars and activities launched in April, the interest in teaching financial education is spreading.

Biz Kid$, a fast-paced and fun new series about managing money, is airing Sundays at 12:00pm on WQPT. Each episode features compelling stories about kid entrepreneurs and reinforces the importance of budgeting, saving and giving back to the community. By interspersing elements of direct education with real-life profi les, comedy sketches, kooky characters, animation and music, Biz Kid$ appeals to both kids and their parents.

DHCU Community Credit Union and Junior Achievement of the Heartland recently sponsored a Biz Kid$ classroom program, created by Junior Achievement Worldwide, at two local schools, Jane Addams in Moline, and Herbert Hoover in Bettendorf. More than 230 fourth, fifth and sixth graders took part in the activities and simulated auction. They learned about supply and demand and how “money moves.”The Biz Kid$ television series includes 26 episodes on such topics as “Don’t Blow Your Dough,” “Budgeting Basics,” and “Saving and Investing for Your Future.”

The program also touches on the financial markets, business ethics and the global economy. Lessons for elementary and middle school students are available for free to families and teachers at http://www.bizkids.com.

WQPT Broadcast Scholarship

WQPT is pleased to offer a Broadcast Scholarship to students pursuing a career in broadcasting. The annual award can be applied to tuition, books, and fees. WQPT will forward the scholarship funds to the educational institution on behalf of the student prior to the fall 2008 semester.

Interested students may request an application through WQPT by calling 309/796-2424 or 1-800-747-2430. Click here for additional information. Click here to learn more.

Recognizing our Volunteers

Our volunteers have been the backbone of our station since our inception. Volunteers have and continue to make WQPT a valuable asset to everyone in our region.

Please join us as we take a moment to recognize WQPT volunteers who
have shared their time and talents with the station throughout the year. They are at the center of social change discovering their power to make a difference.

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek ways to be engaged in their community. It’s about showing the nation that we meet the challenges not as isolated individuals but as members of a true community. Please join the 60.8 million people who have volunteered for an organization in the past year.

Learn more about how you can make a difference—
by volunteering at WQPT.

Parenting Counts Workshop

WQPT partnered with Trinity Regional Health Systems for a series of “Parenting Counts” workshops for new parents, facilitated by Stacie DeVries. The series ended with a “Train the Trainer” workshop. In attendance were representatives of the Rock Island Regional Office of Education, the East Moline School District, Project Now Head Start, the Child Abuse Council, the Rock Island Health Dept. and Trinity Medical Center. WQPT provided the materials free-of-charge to these groups who will incorporate them into their classes on teaching good parenting skills.

Co-developed by Talaris and KCTS Seattle/Television co-developed Parenting Counts: A Focus on Early Learning. This multimedia program uses a series of television spots, printed material and workshops to make the research on best parenting practices part of every day parenting decisions. Through outreach efforts in more than 40 communities around the country, Parenting Counts and PBS stations promote greater awareness of the importance of the first years of life and the importance of the parent/child relationship. For more information visit the Talaris website.

PBS KIDS Play

A new way for children (ages 3 to 6) to explore math, science, literacy and other subjects—by playing interactive games with PBS KIDS characters.

PBS KIDS PLAY! adapts to every child based on his or her individual learning progress, unlocking exciting new content—all designed to meet national educational standards for ages 3 to 6. You can take a tour of PBS KIDS PLAY!—you'll see how the fun and learning takes place... see how to access progress reports of your child and much, much more!

Fun (learning) games in PBS KIDS PLAY! adapt to your child's level. Each game has three levels, so each level becomes more challenging as your child advances.

All activities in PBS KIDS PLAY! were designed specifically to meet national educational standards in Math, Science, Literacy, Language Development, Creativity and Social Studies.

100% of net subscription proceeds are used to fund PBS KIDS programming.